This invention concerns solar collection systems, and particularly a racking or mounting system especially for photovoltaic solar panels, typically roof-mounted but also ground-mounted, in a tilted-up array.
Many different arrangements have been suggested in the literature and used for supporting an array of solar collector panels, either on roof surfaces or ground mounted. Examples are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,531,741, 4,278,070, 6,105,317 and U.S. Pub. No. 2003/0094193. It is known to use aluminum extrusions for support members and joists or beams in a solar panel racking system.
Prior to this invention solar panel racking systems have employed roof-secured pedestals which are difficult to reliably waterproof, and these roof mountings have been positioned as closely as every four feet. Typically, the systems had a very large number of components to be assembled, as well as great weight in bracing, beams and panel supporting members such as to be difficult and time consuming to assemble, and far heavier than needed, often requiring engineering and roof structural modification to allow the installation, due to the weight of the systems. In addition, the roof connections, where the waterproof roofing was penetrated, were often not reliable or were costly because of the type of flashing that had to be installed. Further, on industrial or commercial flat roofs some variation in roof height is typical, and with past systems the roof elevations often had to be mapped out so that pedestals of appropriate height could be pre-cut before installation.
Conventional racking systems usually employ clips that grip over top edges of the solar panels, and the racking arrangements usually require spaces between adjacent panels in the array, reducing total area available for solar collection.
A principal object of the current invention is to overcome these problems of prior systems, to provide a lightweight but rugged and strong tilt-up solar panel mounting system that is simple, quick to install and with fewer roof penetrations, producing great savings in total weight and labor, as well as avoiding the need for engineering or structural modification on a roof and allowing field-modification of effective pedestal heights.